Wichita eagle., 1887-02-09

The Diamond Cutters Art a Cornpar-
ativciy Modern Ono-Tfow tho yUorls is
Carried ORA Tedious proces,-Ioolis!i-
crs az Their Wheels.
tho quarter of Amsterdam inhabited
by the jews is curious, but II cICct 10
nc2t2cs5 contrasts unfavcrcbly with lie
resi- OF the city. 1t is visited principally
to sec Tie workshops Of the diamond cut
tiers, which are near Joien Gree STRAIT, in
the vicinity Of the Portuguese SYM
goguc. These form ore Of the leading
industrial features of the Dutch rnetroDo-
lis. There are engaged in the business
forty Merchants and proprietors Of IT.
ting and polishing works, Gnd some TO-
eco persons in subordinate caGacitcs,
whom il I,'aintains III couifcrt or il lux
ury, and 10 whom il IL Sid 70 Lc worth
over i.c,t@.J,eGG. Nine thousand If tie
10,CCp are jews, tat race b@Iil.g had
froIa very distant tires "a ext Extraordinary
affinity fer this form Of wealth
y COMPARATIVELY 3-oDELE AIT.
1t is strange 10 t,1il3, flat tie art of
emitting the diamond. though Tic stone
itself lis been he'd precious ffo,a a
peTio'i which Gntedates history. should
Only lave Isen discovered i'll tie Siz-
tselt,l Gently. Before that tiZ.c. rough
diamonds OILY were used, ara thcec
were preferred which presented naturally
pyramiCal figure, and which were set
with the point projecting. In 1916
Louis dc LcrCucIn discovered the art Of
cutting the stone and Of polishing it with
its own dust. Then for The FIRST time it's
true beauty was revealed. Ii les from
time 10 time been cut in many forms, as
INK
those most famous, but only two arc now
employed by shiiIul lGpidaricE-thc rose
and the brilliant. The rose cutting is
only for thin stones. 1t presents On
one siCe q pyramid of triangular facets
and on the ether q fat surface, to lie hid
den by the mounting The brilliant. on
the contrary, presents on one eide a fat
surface, surrounded by triangular fac
cts, and en- the other pyramid OF facets,
intended 20 be placed openly in the set
ting and 10 reflect the light.
Most OF the diamond cutting and pol
ishing establishments are in Zwanccn-
burger STRAIT. and UI.ices orr has q Guide
he finds The locality with difficulty. Once
found, there IS 10 trouble cbCut cccing
the operations. itc rroTrictor3 ere only
too glad TO receive visitors, who r.cy Lc-
come customers, fer there is u cocd dccI
of rivalry in rlc business Tie oo.ci-
cIgc conducts them through The place,
receiving half form (2l cantsl fer the
service.
Tow TIL WORK Is EoSE
The work is carried on on nevcral
floors, ard the processes, though nice,
arc simple, Uniform and casilv under
stood. The power is supplied hy . hand
some steam engine in the basement in
very simple manner BY r2cans Of coos
it is transferred to upright shafts run
ming up through the different floors.
These have great horizontal puIi:cs from
which it IS conveyed 10 the polishing
wheels ranged GlCnS The sides Ct the
rooms. These are also horizontal The
first operation consists in dividing the
diamond IS many tiIcos - 4 CecI-sI rec
cssary. Technically tits is called Iccy-
age, 2ld it is cnc CT thc miracles Il IA
turc that he hardest substance known
Is capable Ct such INFINITE separation.
It Is tie business Of tie e.,il.J.I work
man 10 frd the cleavage b following t,c .
seams of ia crystalline forms, which ran
parallel e the f2CC5 e . rcCulcr octa,:e- /
droa. Having fouui it lie fzcs Tie roa~h ]
diamond ca the cid q Z r.CTa r. Ok, or
nl2ndrci, Gy rcccEs CT q Ger c;.t which q +
easily softened hy Lc2t, but Lar,crs
quietly, holding TIC stcnc III its place
with The requisite tcnGcity. Tlcn Iy
the aid % another diamond having q ca
ting edge ard fixed 10 another 19acGrgl
in the E&I2c manner. lie traces a line
along the face Of TIC hand cyyS.al. Il is
only Necessary then 10 GrDly tic cGr2 #
& small sharp instrument so the Inc lie
has traced, give q START blow and tie
diamond quickly separates 1t the point
desired.
TEDIOUS PROCESS.
The first cutting is GoLc by Il workman (
whose hcnd9 aTc protected Iy thick /
gloves, who, having fixed two diamonds |.
iDn:ovably ii tic manner just described, /
rubs them briskly togcthCr, which re-
suits in giving tie form rose or tie fern /
brilliant, according 10 the nature of he .
stone CT tic Preference Of TIC master.
These lccnipulatiCn3 OF the Gi&n.c:.d are
performed over Ettle bc-c. t,ct rot q
particle CT the TCwGCr l. los. The men
engaged in il sit Gt q lit;lc table e bench
adjacent 10 tic ElGin rCCrl. whose %
pUrtcncGcos ere ell Of the most primitive
description Tic polishing Is reformed (,
with greet C&GCtl.CCc. Ire horizontal .
wheels Cr aiGcS used for II re Of steel,
aboJ,t . feet IL diameter. The diamond .
dust is mined with cil before lein- az
Piled. Tho diamond is firmly fixed IL "a
esq shaped piece cf lead i! such manner .
that CCly Tie sT;rf2cc TO he .Yri!cG - Tic
disc IS exposed. TO TIC lead is attached .
4 sort Of 1tc;-l CT short handle, which Is |
taken ly ;he rol.shor Ly rle2rs Ct ;rair
Of p:rcvra. When toUchtI to tic Csc
TIC r.nce-s aro held iraIlcvSbie by two
pieces O. iroa, enc CT wL.ch presses Il
firmly on one SIDE and tAc c;ller - re
other.
TIC rolislers sat ct their wheels IN :
lonS row along either wall. I'm 1t :, IL l.
distance i-c-,l il AID f;,ci.i the iril:,.lc Il
tie room. Tie CicI2o.iCs 80 ii:-cG il tie
leadcn CO. = = SET q vcll,ucn, r;,scl
less in n,i:,,,,~r, Who si1 - lizzie flr::sccs
p,onG TIC Wall. I: tGIcs = Eeo,. c*c .
determine vICC iio l~cot L25 lcca cut
just cEoC~k mi i,,t 80 rc,:ch.-AE,1;sC-
dam Ger. S,,n francisco C,.c,:...c,c.
An Unc..iis,l Tor i,cInar,..
Yo;.Hc; Icy (rcrdiE,, CIV. il, ircJs,Lt
MI. G-,--,-l- < - Mil